As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections come close, the Opposition eyes an alliance among parties with historical differences just to defeat the ruling BJP. On June 23, Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar hosts a meeting for the Opposition parties to ‘establish unity’ in Patna.
While Nitish Kumar welcomes DMK President and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin for the Opposition meeting, the people of Bihar are not yet warmed up for the alliance. Even before MK Stalin reached Patna for the meeting, the hashtag ‘Go Back Stalin’ trended on Twitter to protest his arrival, posting videos of DMK leaders making derogatory remarks against Biharis and the Hindi language.
Meanwhile, others are protesting Stalin’s arrival, unhappy with the Tamil Nadu government’s actions against YouTuber Manish Kashyap for uploading certain videos concerning the attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. In response, DMK supporters have started hashtags – ‘BJP Fears Stalin’ and ‘Welcome Stalin’ – over Twitter.
KT Nehru Insults Intelligence of Biharis
In 2021, DMK Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, KN Nehru, made derogatory remarks about the intelligence of Biharis. He said, “Biharis lack brain as Tamilians have. People from Bihar are not as intelligent as Tamilians,” while addressing an employment camp at the DMK office.
He further said that Lalu Prasad Yadav, during his stint as the Railway Minister, had packed the Railways with Biharis despite them being “less brainy” than Tamils. He said, “As Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav packed the Railways with Biharis, especially at lower-level jobs, despite the fact that Biharis were less brainy than Tamils.”
He alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav had allowed Biharis to copy the Railways’ exam and get them jobs, even though they lack the intelligence Tamilians possess. He said, “Over 4,000 Biharis work at the Southern Railway’s Golden Rock Workshop in Tiruchy. Similarly, the majority of railway crossing gatekeepers are Biharis. This is all due to the handiwork of Lalu Prasad Yadav. When he was railway minister, he had all of his fellow Biharis copy the railway exams and then get them jobs on the railways. These people speak neither Tamil nor Hindi and lack the intelligence that we Tamils possess. Yet they are working in Tamil Nadu.”
TKS Elangovan Claims Hindi is the Language of Backward States
In 2022, DMK spokesperson and former Rajya Sabha MP TKS Elangovan made derogatory remarks against the Hindi language, claiming that it is the language of backward states and will turn Tamilians into Shudras. He said, “Hindi is the native tongue in only underdeveloped states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Look at West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Punjab. Aren’t all these developed states? Hindi is not the mother tongue of the people of these states. Hindi will convert us to Shudras. Hindi will be no good for us.”
He further alleged that Hindi speakers are destroying culture. He said, “They are trying to destroy the culture and trying to impose Manu Dharma through Hindi. This should not be allowed. If we did, we will be slaves, Shudras.”
TRB Rajaa Calls Biharis Rapists
As MK Stalin reached Patna for the meeting, an old tweet of DMK Minister for Industries, Investment and Commerce and IT Wing Secretary TRB Rajaa went viral over social media for his racist comments against people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Since then, the DMK Minister has deleted the controversial tweet labelling all Biharis as rapists.
On April 24, 2013, TRB Rajaa (@TRBRajaa) tweeted, “Sounds racist BUT looking at what UP Mins & Bihari #Rapists are saying…Problem IS IN THE ENTIRE UP/BIHAR etc Society & not just individuals,” making derogatory generalisations about the people of Bihar.
However, TRB Rajaa’s insult to Biharis did not end with alleging all of them are rapists. On November 10, 2020, he tweeted that Biharis do not have a sense of democracy and that they will remain at the bottom. Notably, he has deleted this tweet as well.
He tweeted, “Vadakkans don’t have the sense to drive a democracy…How many more elections do you want to see to recognise this ! #Biharis will remain at the bottom as long as the literacy rate remains @ Male arnd 48% & overall arnd 70%! it’s the 30% that votes !!!”
MK Stalin Peddles Hate
Nitish Kumar’s guest MK Stalin has himself incited hatred against North Indians, claiming that there is a conspiracy of giving Tamil jobs to Hindi-speaking youngsters to grow BJP in the state. He said, “They’re conspiring to place Hindi-speaking youngsters in jobs in Tamil Nadu and grow BJP through that here. The Edappadi Palaniswami government may be a mute spectator to this. But DMK or Tamil Nadu people won’t let that happen,” in the run-up to the 2021 Assembly elections.
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